Yomi
おきにいく
Rōmaji
oki ni iku
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
to go and put
Meaning
to take a secure and passable route (and avoid doing something challenging or risky); to play it safe
Synonym
安全牌をとる
Antonym
挑戦する, 冒険する, 危ない橋を渡る, リスクを取る
Additional Info
Originally, it’s a baseball term that means “to pitch a slow ball so that you can surely get a strike (as if one puts an egg on the strike zone)”. If you’re unfamiliar with baseball, imagine those who throw a ball very slowly in bowling, almost putting it on a lane.
Example
あの会社(かいしゃ)は最近(さいきん)似(に)た商品ばかり作って置きに行っていると批判(ひはん)されている
That company has been recently criticised for making similar products only and playing it too safe.
